The attack on Iraq is having a knock-on effect on Irish people's choice of holiday destination this summer, writes Iva Pocock

If you have a holiday booked to Izmir, in Turkey, or Paphos, in Cyprus, it might be wise to get an atlas and reassure yourself that the conflict in Iraq is not too close to your sunbathing spot. But if your holiday plans are as yet undecided, the chances of a cheap package deal to the eastern Mediterranean seem better this year - with the citizens of Iraq under fire - than they did in 2002.

Tour operators admit that since the invasion of Iraq by UK and US troops in mid-March package-holiday sales are down to popular eastern Mediterranean resorts. They are, however, at pains to reassure customers who have booked or are thinking of booking holidays to resorts in Cyprus, Turkey or Egypt that there is no cause for nervousness.

One operator has cancelled its summer programme to Egypt since the outbreak of war; last week another held a one-day sale of its holidays to Cyprus. Other companies are offering reduced prices for holidays next month, although Niall McDonnell, a leading industry figure, says May discounts are standard practice.

Brendan Moran, chief executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) says: "Certainly, there has been a blip in demand for holidays to Turkey and Cyprus, but programmes are going ahead and we expect a full operational programme to be in place."

Budget Travel, which was the only operator offering package holidays to Egypt, cancelled its flights from Dublin and Belfast to Luxor because of the "significant number of passengers transferring to other destinations", according to marketing director Niamh Hayes. "Bookings for Egypt were normal until the war broke out . . . It's unfortunate and a disappointment, as they were always a sell-out." The holidays, for up to 6,500 people, were due to start on May 1st.

Budget Travel's packages to Mediterranean resorts in Turkey and Cyprus are "faring very well", says Hayes, who suggests that the age of holidaymakers to Egypt may account for their cancellations. Those booking for Turkish resorts tend to be younger than those booking for Egypt, so "maybe they are more carefree and relaxed", she says.

Barbara Wallace of Stein Travel, which held last week's one-day sale of holidays to Cyprus, says people are being "over-cautious" about travelling to the island. Because the travel market is "price-driven", however, she does not expect the war in Iraq to affect sales of its special deals.

Audrey Boyce of Tony Roche Travel, in Walkinstown, Dublin, says some "young families got nervous and came in and cancelled", especially those travelling in May.

"The more nervous part of the population have cancelled," adds Boyce, but those booked to travel later seem to be "holding firm". She says "sales to all other places had dwindled a bit" and that she'd "expect it to be much busier". In her opinion, this is because of the war.

But McDonnell, who is head of Panorama & Airtours Holidays and president of the Irish Tour Operators Federation, says the industry has had a "tremendous start to summer '03" and that sales in January and February were marginally up on last year.

Routes to Tunisia and Morocco are full until Easter, he says, and "people are still travelling and are quite prepared to plan ahead for the summer".

"Most of those who have booked for the eastern Mediterranean don't start flying until mid-May and, if Sky News is to be believed, this conflict will be well over by then," adds McDonnell, who believes there's no need to be nervous about travelling to resorts offered by the federation's members.

"There seems to be a general lack of awareness of the geography of the area," McDonnell says. "Turkey is mentioned because the south-east borders Iraq, but the Mediterranean resorts are 1,200 to 1,500 kilometres from there. This is the same distance as Dublin to Madrid.

"It is important to be aware that tour operators are monitoring the situation and following Department of Foreign Affairs advice. No one has any desire to put any Irish holidaymaker at risk."

All travel agents who spoke to The Irish Times stressed that the Department of Foreign Affairs is not advising anybody against travelling to eastern Mediterranean resorts. "The Government has advised against travelling to Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait - but we don't have any programmes there anyway," says Moran of the ITAA.

Hayes says: "If the Department of Foreign Affairs started advising against travelling to Turkey, we would either offer a full refund or an opportunity to transfer to another destination."

General holiday insurance does not cover acts of war or terrorism, although cover can vary from policy to policy.

The Consumers' Association of Ireland has been advising consumers about their rights in relation to holiday cancellations.

"Anyone can cancel, but unless they have very sound reasons they will lose their deposit," says Dermott Jewell, the organisation's chief executive. "So cancellation is a hard decision, particularly when money is tight."

The association has had daily queries over the past month about the effect of the war on their holidays. "This leads me to believe there is a degree of worry, whether well founded or not," he says.